Career Characteristics

CAREER CHARACTERISTICS

LEADERSHIP

Definition: To make it into a senior leadership role, you need to be able to make tough people decisions and live with the consequences of your actions. Be aware of the positive flipside: those who find it harder to make tough people decisions can channel compassion and grace into nurturing, supportive and team-centred roles.

AMBITION

Definition: Ambition and inner drive are innate and extremely difficult to spot; previous achievements are not necessarily a strong predictor. You may be subconsciously limiting yourself or letting your ambition drive you. Knowing where you stand can help you take measures to flourish.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Definition: A lack of balance in work and home life can affect well-being. Burn-out is not just about overwork but can occur when work ceases to provide a shelter for unreleased complex emotions. A too strong sense of competition or rivalry can also lead to workaholism and anxiety.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Definition: There is a bit of a rebel in many of us. If your rebellious nature is too strong it can lead to difficulty dealing with authority, which can be antithetical to the hierarchical structures in corporate environments. However, those who are most rebellious are often the best suited to entrepreneurship.

DESIRE TO DEVELOP

Definition: Do you have an innate desire to constantly learn and develop yourself? This desire to develop ourselves allows us to reach our full potential in our careers.

RESILIENCE

Definition: Can you bounce back from a knock or a set-back? Can you support others in a crisis? Some people appear resilient but may lack the inner security to weather storms.

EMBRACING CHANGE

Definition: Great leaders show great capacity to flex and adapt to new circumstances, and in today’s workplace the pace of change is fast. Do you have a flexible approach to life or do you find adapting to change difficult? For some, change triggers a subconscious desire to try to ‘control’ their circumstances.

DETAIL FOCUS

Definition: Some individuals are naturally very detail-focussed and cover their tracks very diligently. Whereas this can be a positive advantage, it is likely to be driven by a subconscious desire to look good in the eyes of others or avoid negative judgement. Others who focus less on the detail often have a greater capacity to be straightforward and realistic, whatever the consequences.

NEED FOR SUPPORT

Definition: We all need support from time to time. Some people, however, are innately more needy than others. To succeed professionally you need an emotional strength that allows you to ‘give’ to an organisation as well as ‘taking’ from it. However, needy people are the best at nurturing and excel in roles where they are nurturing, supporting or mentoring others.

ANALYTICAL NATURE

Definition: Do you focus on the detail? Do you tend to procrastinate, garner too many opinions or not ‘take the bull by the horns’ yourself? Attention to detail can be put to good use, but those who are over-analytical can be slowed up by cautiousness.

INDEPENDENCE

Definition: Tough single-mindedness and independence can be a strong characteristic but in certain cultures it can risk collaboration and healthy companionship. To make an impact in an organisation there needs to be an element of selflessness. People with very strong independence may thrive working independently or in an ‘expert’ or ‘consultative’ capacity.

RISK APPETITE

Definition: Are you a balanced decision maker or someone who has an unhealthy appetite for risk taking? If you over-depend on things or have too much attraction to risk-taking, these traits can distort your sense of professional responsibility.

PRESENTATION

Definition: It may feel natural to make sure that you, your company or team always appear in the best possible light. This is very normal when balanced, but at the extreme end this can lead to too much ‘spin’ or over-optimistic messaging around important issues/projects/data. Being straightforward is fundamental to some roles whereas other industries can benefit from some creativity, detail and positive messaging.

PROFESSIONALISM

Definition: Some people wear their professionalism lightly, exhibiting their values of honesty and trustworthiness naturally through their actions. For others it is more hidden, and for a few they find it difficult to be straightforward in their actions.